Walter Minnick

WAY TO GO WALTER...A HOME RUN!
To make a good baseball team, you
have to have good coaches along
the way who understand the game. The
Foundation office plays the role of a
"coach" to many of our Holston
Conference churches. Rev. Larry Lusk,
Pastor at Washington Chapel UMC
in Abingdon, Virginia, knows this
first-hand. He first contacted the
Foundation for a meeting with the
church Finance Committee, then the
Church Council and ultimately with
the whole church. From preaching on
Sunday to meeting with various people
through the week, together we helped
the church plan a lasting legacy that will honor Walter
Minnick's life and benefit many people through his
generosity. The following story is about how one person
really made a difference for his church...
Walter Minnick grew up the way that most people did
around the turn of the century. He lived on a farm just
inside the Abingdon, Virginia city limits. His mother was a
saintly lady who made sure her son was involved at the
local Methodist church. He attended Sunday school and
church all his life.
Walter attended Fairview Elementary School (which is
no longer there) and Bethel High School, receiving his
diploma in 1939. Walter was a hard worker on the farm,
where there was no shortage of chores to do, like feeding
the cattle or getting the ground ready for wheat, sugar cane,
potatoes, corn, or tobacco. There was always a "patch of
potatoes" for the church folks to use however they saw fit.
He also enjoyed photography and took pictures at many
church gatherings. Fellow church members, Phil and
Vickie McCall, have many good memories of Walter. "I
helped him on many occasions, digging potatoes and
harvesting sugar cane. The church
always got a share," Phil recalled.
Whenever Walter had a break in
school or the chores, he loved playing
baseball! His favorite words to hear
were, "Batter up". He loved the sound
of a ball smacking against the bat,
and then off he would run to first
base! Because he had a bad foot, he
always needed a pinch runner to
finish the bases for him. When he
wasn't playing baseball, he was
watching others play when his high
school team traveled to Whitetop or
Saltville. Following baseball was a lifelong enjoyment for
Walter. He knew many of the minor league players, some
who made it to the big leagues, and loved watching
the Atlanta Braves on television. He also enjoyed reading,
and had a large appetite for learning, especially history.
One of his evening traditions was to sit with the sunshine
streaming through his window, reading the newspaper.
Many who knew Walter said, "You could always see him
reading the paper with his glasses resting on his
forehead."
"He liked having a good time and could be the life of the
party," according to Mrs. Hagy, who was one of Walter's
best friends from elementary school. "Walter was a good
friend and was very involved with his community."
He was an assistant rural route mail carrier for 39 years. If
you asked Walter about someone's background or family,
he always knew the answer!
Over the years, he became the one person you could count
on at the church dinners, for he loved the home-cooked
meals. Judy Thomas, fellow church member, should know.
She made a lot of "to go" plates for Walter. He
wouldn't let Judy pick him up in a car because just
once she ran into the ditch at his house - that was
enough - Walter preferred Judy's husband, Bobby
Thomas, to come and get him from then on.
Rev. Larry Lusk visited with Walter after Lusk
was appointed to Washington Chapel United
Methodist Church. According to Lusk, Walter
was very quiet and full of dry wit. One time he
shared that he wouldn't be preaching on Sunday,
and before he could say who was going to take
his place, Walter said, "That may not be such a
bad thing." The corners of Walter's mouth curled
up in a smile. "Don't tell anyone I said that,
preacher!"
Walter learned a lot about friends, church, and
baseball, but he never experienced the thrill of
hitting a home run in his high school days.
However, in his will Walter left one-half of his
estate to his church. This $500,000+ gift will help
his church and the community know more about
the love of Christ.
Way to go, Walter...a home run!
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